Join the Turtle Beach Cleanup on Lamma Island this Sunday

With the sun finally shining, it’s high time to make the most of your weekends.

This Sunday, May 27, happy hikers and beachgoers will gather to clean for a great cause and rid Lamma Island’s Turtle Beach of rubbish. Not only will this beach hike and cleanup help the local environment and wildlife to flourish in their natural habitat, it also promises to be a fun day out for the whole family.

Sham Wan (also known as Turtle Beach) has been a protected site under the Wild Animal Protection Ordinance since 1999. The beach is a known nesting site for green sea turtles, but plastic-strewn shores and polluted waters have posed a serious risk to their survival. Each year, the beach closes for the summer months when sea turtles are known to nest, and this year, access will be prohibited from midnight on May 31 until October 31.

Organisers expect between 1,400 and 1,600 people to attend what will be Hong Kong’s largest ‘non-emergency’ clean up. Attendees will attempt to remove rubbish, trawling nets, and debris from the area and give the sea turtles a fighting chance for survival.

With public sentiment galvanised, the plan is to take the talk from the seaside to the ballot the day after the cleanup. LegCo will debate the possibility of extending the protection zone, moving it beyond the beach and to include the bay and shallow areas, which could have a significant impact.

If you’d like to take part, attendees are encouraged to meet at Central Ferry Pier No. 4 at 10am, to take the 10.20am ferry to Sok Kwu Wan. The beach is a 55-minute walk from the ferry pier. Plan ahead and wear closed comfortable shoes and pack enough water for the day ahead. Organisers encourage people not to bring single-use plastic bottles – after all, you’re there to get rid of rubbish, not add to it.